Box



Feb. 21,' 1933.

D. R. GOODING BOX Filed Feb. 15, 1932 yer-7 57E \DmzaZ'd 7 61000 222 QQWM I Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNETE STATES PATENT OFFICE,

DONALD E. GOODING, OF WAUSAU, WISCONSIN, AESIGNOR TO WISCONSIN BOX COMPANY, OF WAUSAU, WISCONSIN, A. CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN BOX Application filed February 15, 1932. Serial No. 592,963.

The present invention relates to a box of the type generally known as wire-bound box and refers more particularly to a construction wherein the end members or end walls at are removably secured in position without nailing or stapling and which end walls interlock with the box sections in such'manner as to maintain the sections in rectangular box-like relationship independently of the Le lid. I

In the construction of the well-known wirebound boxes it has been customary to nail or staple the box ends or end members to the inner faces of the end cleats of the sections com- 1:; prising the sides and bottom of the box. Such attachment requires special nailing or stapling machines which are expensive to manufacture. Furthermore, the nailing or stapling of the end walls to the cleats pre- I? vents disassembly of the parts so that the blank may be readily reduced to the flat form in which t .e blank is submitted by the box manufacturer. In other words, the stapling or nailing of the end walls precludes further re-use of the box in knocked-down condition.

An object of the present invention is to provide means whereby the end walls may be slipped into place and interlocked to provide a box wherein greater rigidity and strength is secured.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wire-bound box construction whereby the ends may be inserted or removed without tools and when inserted cooperate withcertain of the box parts to retain the parts in box form independently of the lid and without nailing or stapling of the ends in position.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a wire-bound box a novel interlock A between the end members and the side sections whereby the sections may be quickly assembled and locked in rectangular form independently of the securing wires and which may be as readily disassembled and at the same time providing such a box with increased strength, rigidity and resistance to accidental disarrangement.

A still further object of the invention is to provide in a wire-bound box a novel interlock 59 between the end members and the side sections whereby nailing or stapling the end 8 members in place may be eliminated.

The above other and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description, accompanying drawing and appended claims. v p p The accompanying drawing illustrates a wire-bound box constructed in accordance with principles of the present invention and the views thereof are as follows: a V

Figure 1 is an isometric view of a wirebound box in closed position embodying principles of the present invention.

Figure 2 is an inside elevational view of the box blank in flat or opened position showing the manner in which the blank is shipped from the box manufacturer to the user. It shows the end members as supplied with such a blank. 1 f

Figure 3 is a fragmental inside elevational view of a corner ofa wire-bound boxshowing an end wall as installed in interlocking position in accordance with principles of the present invention.

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially in the plane of line IVIV of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a fragmental top plan view of a portion of an end member showing the preferred form of attaching hook attached to the end member or end wall. l

The drawing will now be explained.

Figure 2 illustrates in fiat condition the usual wire-bound blank consisting ofsections A, B, C and D with the end members E laid fiatwise against the blank. This is the mannor in which such blanks are shipped from the box manufacturer to the user with the end members E tied or otherwise retained with the blank for insertion in proper relation when the blank is assembled in rectangular or box form for filling purposes.

The blank as illustrated in Figure 2, a before'stated, comprises the four sections de scribed wherein the sections A and C may be the top and bottom sections respectively and the sections B and D the side sections. In the construction of wire-bound boxes the sections are made of comparatively thin inexpensive material. H Across the ends of the 100 several sections are cleats 1 and 2. The cleats 1 are illustrated as longer than the cleats 2 and are supplied to the bottom and top sections A and C. All of the cleats, no matter what the length, are similarly made, with mortises 3 at one end and tenons 4: at the other end so formed as to mate when the sections are folded into box or rectangular form.

The sections are flexibly connected by binding wires 5 and 6. There are three such wires illustrated but it is of course understood that more or less may be utilized as the size and design of the box warrants.

The wires 5 and 6 are secured to the sections by staples 7. WVhere the outer wires 5 overlie the cleats, then a single series of staples may be utilized to secure the wires, sections and cleats together in the usual manner.

The ends of the wires 5 and 6 project beyond the end edges of the outermost sections to serve as means for tying together the wires to secure the box in rectangular closed position.

The manner of securing the ends of the wires together, however, forms no part of the present invention and any manner usual in the formation of tying means for such boxes may be employed in the boxes constructed in accordance with principles of the present invention.

The cleats 2 of the side sections B and D have formed in the faces thereof which are secured against the section material formed with kerfs 8 which are formed perpendicularly to the faces 9 of the cleats 2 which is the face in contact with the inner surface of the material of the section. The portion of the cleat between the kerfs 8 and the near juxtaposed face or surface 10 is reduced in depth slightly at 11 to provide a space between the surface of the reduced portion and the inner surface of the section material to receive a hook of an end member or wall E so that a portion of the hook may engage kerf 8 for locking the end wall or member E in position.

The hooks of the preferred form are made of thin sheet metal having parallel legs 12 and 13 connected by a web portion 14. The leg 12 is longer than the leg 13. The hooks are so fashioned that the legs 12 and 13 are parallel and are spaced a distance substantially that of the thickness of the end wall member E plus the width of the reduced portion 11 of the cleat 2 between the nearer juxtaposed face 10 and the kerf 8. The hooks are fashioned to provide sharp corners 15 between the web 14 and the legs. The lengths of the hooks designated generally as F are slightly less than the heights of the end members E. The hooks are attached to the end members by placing the longer leg 12 against one surface'of the end members near its end edges and securing such hooks by nailing or stapling as at 16. Such arrangement is illustrated in Figure 5 and shows the shorter leg 13 spaced from the surface of the end wall E opposite that against which the longer leg 12 is secured.

The hooks F are so attached to the end walls E as to have the webs 14 thereof in substantial abutment against the end edges of the end wall members.

There are two such hooks for every end member.

When it is desired to arrange a box in rectangular form the side sections B and D are moved upwardly as viewed in Figure 2 in a substantially vertical position with respect to the bottom C. Such movement causes engagement of the tenons and mortises at the ends of the several cleats to lock these together in the usual manner. When the side sections B and D have been so arranged the end walls E are then inserted in position by engaging the short legs 13 in the kerfs 8 of the cleats 2 and sliding the end wall members down until the bottoms of such members rest against the bottom sections B. The engagement of the hooks 13 with the kerfs 8 thus locks the sections B, C and D in rectangular or box-like form independently of the lid A.

Should it be desired to remove the end pieces this may be done by pulling the same upwardly until the hooks F thereof disengage the kerfs 8 in the cleats 2.

Should any shifting of the load or rough usage of the box occur and shock is transmitted to the end wall members, the interlock of the hooks F with the kerfs 8 prevents displacement of the end walls E outwardly as well as inwardly. The arrangement of the legs 12 and 13 in parallel relation increases the strength of the interlock between the end walls and the cleats and enables engagement of the shorter leg 13 with a substantial portion of the cleat, thus affording greater strength and rigidity. Oftentimes, due to rough handling or the like, the box load shifts tending to bow outwardly an end member. Sometimes an end member is subjected to force, such, for instance, as by striking an object which tends to how it inwardly. It is highly desirable that the end members he so interlocked with the box cleats as to positively prevent disengagement of the end members under such conditions. The right angular construction of the books of the present invention, and the right angular engagement of portions of the hooks with the kerfed cleats, satisfactorily prevents such accidental displacement of the end members. The distance of the kerfs 8 from juxtaposed faces 10 of the cleats 2 may be as desired in accordance with the design andsize and use of the particular box. It is desirable, in any event, to have suficient of the cleat material between the kerf 8 and the juxtaposed nearer face 10 to afford maximum strength under all conditions of service to which such a box may be subjected.

The provision of the square corners 15 prevents any tendency to tilt of the hooks F when in interlocking engagement with the kerfs 8 in the cleats 2. It may be readily seen that were an attemptrmade to force the end wall E inwardly, (Figure 4:), such tendency would be resisted by the engagement of the short leg 13 with the kerf 8 and of the adjacent sharp corner 15 with the corner of the cleat 2 adjacent the kerf, and any tendency to force the end wall E outwardly, as viewed in Figure 4, would be resisted by the surface engagement of the end walls E with the cleats 2 maintained by the interlocking hooks F. A lever arm effect, in such event, would be insuficient to dislodge the shorter leg 13 from engagement with its kerf. The width of the kerf 8 is such as to receive the legs 13 of the hooks F, allowing for inequalities of material and inequalities in straightness but at the same time to prevent too loose an engagement. The depth of the reduced portion ll'is such as to make a recess sufficient only for the reception of the web 14 of the hook, thus aiding in interlocking the end walls to the cleats.

It will be observed that a wire-bound box constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention is rigid and strong and the tendency to displace the end memhers is checked to an extent where such displacement cannot occur. The hooks F are secured to the end members E and are engaged with kerfs in the cleats 2 which kerfs are parallel to the juxtaposed faces 10 of the cleats engaged by the end members E to prevent any so-called rocking action of the end walls E with respect to the cleats 2 occasioned by shifting of the load or dropping of the box on an end wall. The engagement of the web 14 of the hook F aids in maintaining the rigidity and strength of the box.

The present invention lends itself readily to wire-bound boxes for re-use, as it is readily apparent that the end walls E may be re moved by sliding the same upwardly out of engagement with the cleats 2 whereupon the blanks may then be opened in flatwise position for storing or shipment as desired.

The gist of the present invention resides in the provision of the interlock between the end walls and the certain sections of the box to provide a strong and rigid box of the wirebound type.

The invention has herein been described more or less precisely as to details, yet it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited thereby as changes may be made in the arrangement and proportion of parts and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention as claimed follows:

1. A wire-bound box comprising a plurality of individual sections, every section comprising end cleats'and connecting material, binding wires attached to said sections to connect the same in foldable relation in rectangular form, separate end walls, said end walls having hook members permanently fastened to the ends of the same to prevent relative displacement when the box is accidentally dropped on an end, said hooks being substantially channel-shaped with one leg shorter than the other,-th e longer leg being in contact with and attached to one surface of the wall member and the shorter leg being spaced from and parallel to the opposite surface of the wall member, the cleats of the opposite sections having kerfs therein to receive the shorter legs of the hooks in interlocking relation, the kerfs being perpendicular to the adjacent box sides, the end walls and attached hooks being slid into position with the shorter legs of the hooks sliding in the kerfs, and the cleats being reduced in depth adjacent the kerfs to receive the connecting webs of the hooks with the webs of the hooks against the faces of the cleats between the kerfs and the end members.

2. A wire-bound box having cleats along the ends of the box sections, removable end members insertable against the insides of the cleats, hook members attached to said end members along the side edges thereof and slidably engageable with said cleats and adapted to allow insertion of the end mem bers inside the cleats and prevent outward displacement thereof, said cleats Shaving kerfs therein opening perpendicularly toward the adjacent side sections to receive said hooks, said hooks having right angled corners therein to prevent disengagement thereof from the kerfs when the end members are subjected to strain tending to displace said members with respect to the cleats.

3. A wire-bound box comprising a plurality of individual box sections, every section comprising cleats at the ends thereof and connecting material, binding wires attached to said sections to connect the same in foldable, relation in rectangular form, separate end walls, hook members, a hook member comprising spaced parallel legs connected by a web, a hook member being attached to an end wall with one leg of the hook member against the inside surface of the end wall and with the other leg parallel to and spaced from the outer surface of said end wall, certain of the cleats having kerfs therein parallel to the inner faces of the cleats and opening toward the adjacent box sections, the end walls being applied in position by sliding the spaced legs of an end wall in the kerfs in the cleats at one end of the box, the webs of the hook members lying between the edges of the end members and the adjacent box sections also between the faces of the cleats between the kerfs and the end walls, the hook members thus having right anguler hooking engagement with the kerfed cleats, the right angular relationship of the spaced legs and the portions of the webs between the kerfed cleats and the adjacent box sections serving to prevent displacement of the legs from the kerfs in the event an end wall is bowed by inside or outside forces.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at VVausau, Marathon County, Wisconsin.

DONALD R. GOODING. 

